Reflections on Humanics, November 13, 1997
by Coach Joel Dearing
I am serving this year as the Distinguished Professor of Humanics. Thanks for reading this column. I have been trying to reflect on different experiences I have had that have helped me embrace our Humanics Philosophy. This is the third and final column in a series on team building.
I have presented some thoughts in the last two weeks on the process of building a team. When you get to know me, you probably begin to realize that I do have "passion" for what I do. I really love coaching and teaching, because for me they go hand in hand. I also realize that an effective teacher never stops learning. The coaching profession certainly is a career that provides a built in and continuous in-service training program - just go to practice every day and you'll learn something. You'll learn about players on your team, and you'll usually have more than a few challenges facing you on any given day.
How do we look at Springfield College? Do we view it as a business? Do we see it as a home? Do we describe it as a community? I'd like to suggest that our College is seen in all of these ways. I'd also like to strongly recommend that we also view it as a TEAM. A team is made up of many parts, and all of them need to be in working order.
The Springfield College team has had a lot of success for well over one hundred years. We need to reflect on this. Why do we have an excellent reputation? Why do we have national and international prominence? I believe the answer lies in our philosophy. I wonder how many Colleges in the U.S. don't even have a stated philosophy, much less a distinctive one such as ours.
We have been directed by this philosophy. We need today and in the future to be directed by the Humanics Philosophy. We need to focus our attention on this philosophy. We need to encourage every member of the SC team to investigate, reflect upon, embrace, adopt and personalize the Humanics Philosophy. I don't believe "we" are doing anywhere near enough to see that this happens. I just don't. Since I am part of that "we", let's start with me.
It has been six months since I accepted this position as the Humanics Professor. I feel compelled to look in the mirror time and time again as I try to use this column and other means to draw attention to our Humanics Philosophy. After six months of soul searching, engaging many of you in our community in conversation, and after lots of reflection on our philosophy I have come to a conclusion.
We need UNITY. We need UNITY. We need UNITY. If you look long and hard at the heart of our Humanics Philosophy, you'll arrive at this conclusion too.
Every season, our women's volleyball team has a date on our calendar noted as "Team Unity" day. We STOP EVERYTHING to focus on team unity. To STOP EVERYTHING, we get out of the gym, that's right - NO PRACTICE. We take a day to focus on TEAM UNITY. It is not unusual to have several more spontaneous time-outs during the season to deal with team unity, but I think it's important to note that we plan a STOP EVERYTHING day to focus on UNITY.
You can't build an effective team unless every member has the opportunity to come together and focus on what you are all about. That is a starting point. Think of how we all get caught up in the rat race of life, and seldom STOP at all. Is the Humanics Philosophy caught or taught? I remember hearing that question some years ago for the first time. Many of my "reflections" have been examples of how our philosophy is caught, embraced and exhibited. I also feel that it needs to be taught, and that means we need to STOP and teach it.
I was on this campus as a student from Sept of 1975 to May of 1979. I was on this campus many times from 1979 to 1989 as an active alumnus. I have now been on this campus as a faculty member since the fall of 1989. I have never participated in or taken part in a STOP EVERYTHING for HUMANICS day. So here is the summary of my first six months serving you as Humanics Professor ......I want to be part of a day like that, and I want to channel my energy and passion into this concept.
My passion will now be put to the test. Stay tuned everyone, I have a "picture" in mind for a STOP EVERYTHING for HUMANICS day. We may need to have a better name for it than that...but maybe not...maybe that says it all, and maybe we need to say that to ourselves and to each other. I will need your support but more importantly, I will need your participation. Stay tuned. One last question, will you be in this picture?

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Reflections on Humanics, November 13, 1997
by Coach Joel Dearing
I am serving this year as the Distinguished Professor of Humanics. Thanks for reading this column. I have been trying to reflect on different experiences I have had that have helped me embrace our Humanics Philosophy. This is the third and final column in a series on team building.
I have presented some thoughts in the last two weeks on the process of building a team. When you get to know me, you probably begin to realize that I do have "passion" for what I do. I really love coaching and teaching, because for me they go hand in hand. I also realize that an effective teacher never stops learning. The coaching profession certainly is a career that provides a built in and continuous in-service training program - just go to practice every day and you'll learn something. You'll learn about players on your team, and you'll usually have more than a few challenges facing you on any given day.
How do we look at Springfield College? Do we view it as a business? Do we see it as a home? Do we describe it as a community? I'd like to suggest that our College is seen in all of these ways. I'd also like to strongly recommend that we also view it as a TEAM. A team is made up of many parts, and all of them need to be in working order.
The Springfield College team has had a lot of success for well over one hundred years. We need to reflect on this. Why do we have an excellent reputation? Why do we have national and international prominence? I believe the answer lies in our philosophy. I wonder how many Colleges in the U.S. don't even have a stated philosophy, much less a distinctive one such as ours.
We have been directed by this philosophy. We need today and in the future to be directed by the Humanics Philosophy. We need to focus our attention on this philosophy. We need to encourage every member of the SC team to investigate, reflect upon, embrace, adopt and personalize the Humanics Philosophy. I don't believe "we" are doing anywhere near enough to see that this happens. I just don't. Since I am part of that "we", let's start with me.
It has been six months since I accepted this position as the Humanics Professor. I feel compelled to look in the mirror time and time again as I try to use this column and other means to draw attention to our Humanics Philosophy. After six months of soul searching, engaging many of you in our community in conversation, and after lots of reflection on our philosophy I have come to a conclusion.
We need UNITY. We need UNITY. We need UNITY. If you look long and hard at the heart of our Humanics Philosophy, you'll arrive at this conclusion too.
Every season, our women's volleyball team has a date on our calendar noted as "Team Unity" day. We STOP EVERYTHING to focus on team unity. To STOP EVERYTHING, we get out of the gym, that's right - NO PRACTICE. We take a day to focus on TEAM UNITY. It is not unusual to have several more spontaneous time-outs during the season to deal with team unity, but I think it's important to note that we plan a STOP EVERYTHING day to focus on UNITY.
You can't build an effective team unless every member has the opportunity to come together and focus on what you are all about. That is a starting point. Think of how we all get caught up in the rat race of life, and seldom STOP at all. Is the Humanics Philosophy caught or taught? I remember hearing that question some years ago for the first time. Many of my "reflections" have been examples of how our philosophy is caught, embraced and exhibited. I also feel that it needs to be taught, and that means we need to STOP and teach it.
I was on this campus as a student from Sept of 1975 to May of 1979. I was on this campus many times from 1979 to 1989 as an active alumnus. I have now been on this campus as a faculty member since the fall of 1989. I have never participated in or taken part in a STOP EVERYTHING for HUMANICS day. So here is the summary of my first six months serving you as Humanics Professor ......I want to be part of a day like that, and I want to channel my energy and passion into this concept.
My passion will now be put to the test. Stay tuned everyone, I have a "picture" in mind for a STOP EVERYTHING for HUMANICS day. We may need to have a better name for it than that...but maybe not...maybe that says it all, and maybe we need to say that to ourselves and to each other. I will need your support but more importantly, I will need your participation. Stay tuned. One last question, will you be in this picture?

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